Top 6 Tips For Thriller Authors

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Writing a novel has never been easy. With the changing technological trends now, people are looking for such unique ways on how to effectively write and market well their novels. Aside from the novels you could read on this site, you’ll have insights on hand on how you could become more effective with your writing career.

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Jennifer Hillier is an upcoming author who wrote several well-rated psychological suspense novels. Her first book was published in 2011, by Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books. She wrote in total five well-known novels: Creep, Freak, The Butcher, Wonderland, and the soon to be released Jar of Hearts. As he admits herself, she writes about dark people “who do dark, twisted things”.

Jennifer was born and raised in Toronto but lived in the Seattle area for 8 years, and this is where all her books are set.

Jennifer Hillier has always been drawn to the darkest of fiction though she admits she is usually scared of the littlest things, like crossing the road, walking over manholes, porcelain dolls or the classic clowns. She started writing at 6 years old. Her first story was inspired by the Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, where she changed the destiny of the Wicked Queen who is horribly killed by a vengeful Snow White.

Towards the age of 10, she was focused more on writing original pieces. She wrote mostly short stories and poetry. Early attempts at writing a novel were fruitless as she always gave up after the first chapters, as many beginner writings do. She later admitted that one of the things she learned while writing novels is that the best way to finish your project is to stick to your 2,000 words-a-day quota.

Hillier stopped writing for many years and she didn’t write a single piece in her twenties. The love of writing captured her again in the thirties when she moved to Seattle, and this time she completed her first novel in just three months. This first novel was never published.

She continued to write but the second novel, the Creep, took over a year to complete. This novel was published in 2011. It is the story of Dr. Shelia Tao, a professor of psychology and an expert in human behavior with a dark past and a sex addiction.

The next three novels she wrote gained her recognition among the fans of the genre. In Freak, Jennifer Hillier redefines what “frightening” means through the story of Abby Maddox, the girlfriend of a serial killer and a murderer herself. The story is a continuation of Hillier’s first novel, Creep.

Her latest novel, Jar of Hearts, is planned to be released in June 2018 from Minotaur Books. It is a psychological suspense, as most of her novels are. It is a story of murder, betrayal and unspoken secrets. The star of the novel is Georgina, a 30 years old executive whose life is turned upside down when her
high school boyfriend has been arrested for a series of murders. The book has great reviews and is expected to grab the reader’s attention from the beginning.

Jennifer Hillier is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers of Canada and International Thriller Writers. She also writes a regular column at The Thrill Begins. Her love of Stephen King shows in the novel she writes.

Jennifer Hillier is married and has a son but just like many other celebrities, the spotlight around her never ceases to go away.

The primary purpose of a thriller novel is to keep the reader on the edge of the seat. People often confuse thriller novels with mystery novels. However, thriller novels prevent a crime before it is committed. In other words, they should intrigue, shock and keep the alert from the beginning to the end. Captivate the audience and keep them in suspense by the following guide of how to write a successful thriller novel.

Plot a good story

Thrillers want to be thrilled. Brainstorm for ideas since good thriller novels come from a strong story plot. Great thrillers revolve around a protagonist who falls prey to another character and has no option but to fight for survival. Choosing a fantastic story can help you determine the plot of your book. Use a diagram to plot out your story. A psychological thriller focuses on the mental motives of your main character who is mentally disturbed. Other types of thriller include military thriller, science fiction thriller, spy or assassination thriller, and mystery thriller.

Develop a complex character

The most critical step is to fortify a thriller of its cast character. If your protagonist is a saint or all good, the storyline is likely to be undermined and boring. Instead, the main character should be complicated with a detailed backstory that has a connection with their past. Best thrillers have interesting characters to carry the story forward. For example, you may have a blind detective who travels everywhere with the help of a dog. You need to create mystical traits and qualities to make your characters unique and not a stereotype.

Begin your novel with a bang

Introduce your book with an action scene rather than the biography of your main character. You can do backstory later, but the most important thing is to start with the most engaging moments. Introduce the villain and the hero, and even some of the obstacle the protagonist may face. It will assure the reader that they are in some significant thrill world of the story right away. You may describe the protagonist or villain in the middle of suspense or critical issue.

Make your character miserable

Of course, you don’t want the main character to win until the end. Put your protagonist in ambiguous and risky situations. Give your character flaws like insecure, alcohol problems or hard to tell the truth. The weaknesses need to grow as the novel progresses. Give them false hope, anxiety, grief or even a near-death experience. For example, your protagonist could be a young and ambitious detective. You develop a difficult situation for him/her to solve the case by making the evidence to disappear, or witness goes missing. Make the character suffer while keeping the reader squirm.

Have an exciting climax

A successful thriller should have a fantastic peak, often a three-quarter way to the end. Make the story at its highest level of tension and suspense. At this stage, make the hero and the antagonist fight for the high stakes of the thriller demands. Focus on ending the scene that will keep the audience guessing. A perfect climax and a high note end will shift your novel from entertaining to unforgettable.
In summary, when writing a thriller, you must scare the audience. You need to make your reader almost sick with tension and desperate to know what will happen. Use the element of suspense and avoid apparent steps where the reader can predict the next move. Finally, ensure that the reader has learned about something, like solving a social issue or medical treatment.

Have you ever read a fascinating book or a novel whose plot often revolves around cubing or resolving a crime? The people behind these books always paint us with their unique level of imagination and creativity and put it down on paper for us to read. Let us have a review of most famous thriller writers whose content has left us to yearn for more.

Peter James

He is a UK and specifically Brighton born author. He is celebrated, and most of his efforts have paid off and are depicted by the numerous awards he has won. James is famously known for his Roya Grace Novels; his tactics is that of embracing elements which are supernatural to pass his message. The characters that are used in most of his works can easily be remembered, and he blends his work with a well-designed suspense leaving the readers to demand more. The most recent awards he has achieved to mention are The Sussex Police which he was awarded the Outstanding Public Service Award in 2012. In 2015 John won the WHSmith- The Best Crime Author of all Time Winner and the latest notable one is the 2016 CWA Diamond Dagger recipient, this is valuable award by the Crime Writers Association. Some of his highly regarded books are dead simple, not dead enough, Need you dead, you are dead, Read man’s footsteps, dead like you among many more.

James Patterson

Born in Newburgh, New York, he is probably one of the best authors of all time because he has sold millions of copies of his books. He has also won multiple awards, and his hard work earned him the Guinness World Record and the New York Times record for most bestselling hardcover fiction titles by a single author. Some of his known books include: Along came to a spider, Kiss the girls, Alex cross, seduction among many others. The notable awards he has received are National Book Foundation’s the year 2015 Literarian; he was awarded for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community, the National Parenting Publications Honors Awards among many more awards that have all collectively recognized his effort.

Ian Rankin

This is Cardenden born Scottish. He is considered the Scottish top crime writer a title he has earned over the years. Ians Inspector Rebus novels have been adapted as television series on the I-television, and he is also a renowned contributor to the BBC arts program known as the News night review. Some of the books that propelled Ian to fame include Knots and crosses 1987, Hide and seek 1991 and a question of blood 2003. The recent awards he has won include the 2016 award by the UNESCO City of Literature Visiting Professor, the 2016 RBA International Prize for Crime Writing.

Agatha Christie

For the sake of our article, this Torquay English born author who is multi-million copies selling author closes our chapter. Though she is no more, her books continue to inspire many upcoming and current high profiled writers. She has only been beaten by the William Shakespeare and the Bible, but she remains the bestselling novelist of all time courtesy of the Guinness world record list. Agatha is well known for her detective stories and a collection of short stories as well as writing the world longest running play. She is a renowned first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s highest honor known as the Grandmaster award. Some of her famous books include Agatha Christie and the Murder of the Orient Express.

When a person decides to write a thriller book, there is so much that it takes to produce an existing end product. All the above authors have very basic facts in common which make them stand out. All their novels depict people who have brained stormed well, done enough research and above all, they have read widely, and they use exciting characters.

Publishing book can be a complicated process. Just like any individual work, fiction book publication can be broken down into more straightforward steps. The path can be confusing when you are new to the publishing industry. Therefore if you have a great idea, but you don’t know how to pitch it, worry less since the following guideline of how to get your fiction book published will do your writing a hot demand within a year. My good friend Alun Stern who is head of the publishing division at easystreetprint.com was kind enough to give me these tips to share below.

Write an irresistible proposal

Instead of writing the entire book, write a proposal first to try and interest an agent or editor. In case the publisher is convinced by your argument, it will contract you to write the book. If adequately researched, a reasonable proposal can range from 10-25 pages. However, some complex proposals may reach 50 pages.

Get a literary agent

You are done with your proposal, and you have decided need a professional literary fiction book agent to aid you to publish your piece. Agents need writers to make a living hence to your advantage. To get a good agent, you might gather their names from publication websites, or you seek a recommendation from trusted persons or friends.

Discuss and implement edits

Agents have a specific understanding of a particular publishing industry hence they will be able to provide constructive feedback on what to include to make your work easier to pitch and sell. Avoid hostile approach to suggestions. You should be passionate about their opinions but sensible to advocate your perspective.

Sign the book contract

The contract is a legal agreement between you and a book publisher. Many writers may simply sign them. However, the deal may have unfair and unforeseen consequences often to the write. There try and read the terms and conditions to avoid the effects of contract breaching. Although most publishing industries don’t provide contract negotiations with writers, they give the necessary tools for a successful publication.

Know individuals who will handle your writing

Books go through many hands before reaching the reader. There are various departments in a book publisher, all with different duty. Your paper will go through the publisher, editorial department, contract and legal department, production department, creative department, and sales department. Ensure your book goes through this unit will lead to a high-quality output. You will be happy to know that the whole team is working together to bring out the best in your fiction book.

Publication

Even after acceptance, it can take several months for your book to be published. It’s also possible for publishers to lose interest in your works due to market changes or new staffs. In case your work is rejected, you shouldn’t lose hope but go back and resubmits your proposal. Publication is a long and arduous process, but once you hold your published work, it is time you shift your thought to marketing, publicity and sales department. Enjoy seeing your copies in bookstore and marketing niche as you make dollars.

Final thought

Fiction book publication is a complicated process. Completing and getting it published are incredible moments that can happen to any fiction writer. However, you shouldn’t stop writing just because your proposal has been rejected. Therefore to be a successful author, you need to prepare for the length of the journey ahead and disappointments along the way.

In case you are contemplating of writing a novel for the first time in your life, it is quite natural for you to get anxious and daunted. However, there is no need to worry if you keep certain aspects in mind while composing the fictions. In this article, we will throw some light on the 5 best practices of a novel writer. We also recommend this article if you are looking for additional rules on writing fiction.

Almost every one of us loves to read novels particularly thrillers. The world has seen many renowned writers who have excelled while writing these types of fictions and in this article we are going to discuss 6 tips on how to write thriller novels.

1. Always start with a bang

A thriller novel usually involves high levels of action which entice so many readers all over the world. While writing a thriller, it will be better to start your novel with a bang. Being in the middle of the action from the very onset will definitely thrill the reader and keep him engrossed throughout the entire story. Although you can start with some easy-going actions while composing other types of novels, it is not same when it comes to a thriller.

2. Fast pace

In case the novel is starting with a scene full of action it will be prudent to maintain that momentum throughout the entire story. In fact, fast pace is one of the primary attributes of a popular thriller since the reader will not want to stop reading till he has finished the entire novel. For this, a writer can consider moving his characters from one location to another while changing the plot of the story. The characters will go on changing their actions since they are unfamiliar with the new locations.

3. Solid plot development

A popular thriller is going to be plot-based and it is very important how the plot is unfolding at different stages. Although character development matters a lot, a thriller will never be complete without a solid plot. Consequently, pay attention to the development of plot while writing a thriller novel..

4. Every single scene is important

While writing the thriller, make it a point that every single scene counts. There must not be any filler scene which can simply repel the reader from reading the novel further. You might also include a clue or a hint in each chapter which can imply a lot of things in the long run.

5. Try not to be boring

It is very important to keep the reader interested throughout the entire novel and he should never feel monotonous at any point of going through the story. Write whatever you can out of your own imagination so that it is able to excite the reader although it might not be according to your likings.

6. Write properly

Your novel will never be appreciated by any reader in case it is full of grammatical errors and other such flaws. Try to focus on the characters and there is no need to be flowery. In fact, improper writing can really spoil your years of hard work.

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About Jennifer

Jennifer Hillier is a rising author of several novels, specifically THRILLER novels since the early 2000’s. To name some are, Bandit Of The Void ,Choice Without Hate, and Sounds In The Castle.